In 2020, Tesla even wrote in a submitting to the US Federal Communications Fee that it might be implementing ultra-wideband in its keyless entry techniques, and that the flexibility to way more exactly measure the gap of a key fob or smartphone from a automobile would—or no less than may—forestall its automobiles from being stolen by way of relay assaults. “The space estimate is predicated on a Time of Flight measurement, which is proof against relay assaults,” Tesla’s submitting learn. That doc, first turned up by the Verge, led to widespread studies and social media feedback suggesting that the upcoming ultra-wideband model of Tesla’s keyless entry system would spell the top of relay assaults towards its automobiles.
But the GoGoByte researchers discovered they have been in a position to perform their relay assault towards the most recent Tesla Mannequin 3 over Bluetooth, simply as they’d with earlier fashions, from a distance so far as 15 ft between their machine and the proprietor’s key or telephone. Whereas the vehicles do seem to make use of ultra-wideband communications, they do not apparently use them for a distance examine to forestall keyless entry theft.
Tesla has not but responded to WIRED’s requests for remark.
When the GoGoByte researchers shared their findings with Tesla earlier this month, the corporate’s product safety group instantly responded in an e-mail dispelling any rumor that ultra-wideband, or “UWB,” was even meant to forestall theft. “This habits is predicted, as we’re at the moment engaged on bettering the reliability of UWB,” learn Tesla’s e-mail in response to GoGoByte’s description of its relay assault. “UWB ranging can be enforced when reliability enhancements are full.”
That reply should not essentially come as a shock, says Josep Rodriguez, a researcher for safety agency IOActive who has beforehand demonstrated relay assaults towards Tesla automobiles. Tesla by no means explicitly stated it had began utilizing the ultra-wideband function for safety, in spite of everything—as an alternative, the corporate has touted ultra-wideband options like detecting that somebody’s telephone is subsequent to the trunk to open it hands-free—and utilizing it as a safety examine should still produce too many false positives.
“My understanding is that it might probably take engineering groups time to discover a candy spot the place relay assaults could be prevented but additionally not have an effect on the consumer expertise,” Rodriguez wrote in an e-mail to WIRED. “I wasn’t anticipating that the primary implementation of UWB in automobiles would resolve the relay assaults.”
Automakers’ gradual adoption of ultra-wideband security measures is not simply restricted to Tesla, the GoGoByte researchers word. They discovered that two different carmakers whose keys assist ultra-wideband communications are additionally nonetheless weak to relay assaults. In a single case, the corporate hadn’t even written any software program to implement ultra-wideband communications in its vehicles’ locking techniques, regardless of upgrading to {hardware} that helps it. (The researchers aren’t but naming these different carmakers since they’re nonetheless working by the vulnerability disclosure course of with them.)
Regardless of Teslas’ excessive price ticket and persevering with vulnerability to relay assaults, some research have discovered that the vehicles are far much less prone to be stolen than different vehicles resulting from their default GPS monitoring—although some automobile theft rings have focused them anyway utilizing relay assaults to promote the automobiles for elements.
GoGoByte notes that Tesla, not like many different carmakers, does have the flexibility to push out over-the-air updates to its vehicles and may nonetheless use that function to implement a relay assault repair by way of ultra-wideband communications. Till then, although, the GoGoByte researchers say they need Tesla homeowners to grasp they’re removed from immune. “I feel Tesla will have the ability to repair this as a result of they’ve the {hardware} in place,” says Li. “However I feel the general public ought to be notified of this challenge earlier than they launch the safe model.”
Till then, in different phrases, preserve your Tesla’s PIN-to-drive safety in place. Higher that than protecting your keys and smartphone within the freezer—or waking as much as discover a vacant driveway and your automobile bought for elements.
